The Interrelationships of Coping Styles and Professional Burnout Among Physiotherapists

Abstract

Burnout is a pathological syndrome in which emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DEP), and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment (PA) develop in response to prolonged occupational stress. Those working in the physiotherapy profession appear to be at risk for professional burnout brought on by the specific character of the medical professions, involving continuous contact with patients and associated stress, as well as poor working conditions. However, literature data concerning the scale of professional burnout and its psychosocial correlates remain scarce.The aim of the present study was to assess the scale of professional burnout among physiotherapists and to determine the interrelationships between coping styles and burnout symptoms.The sample consisted of 117 professionally active physiotherapists (90 women and 27 men) aged 21 to 55 years (mean [M] 31.88, standard deviation [SD] = 9.14, responsiveness rate of 80.6%) from randomly selected medical institutions of the Lodz Region. The study was conducted using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by Endler and Parker. Demographic and job-related data on the respondents were also collected.Task-oriented coping correlated negatively with DEP, EE, and low PA, in contrast to emotion-oriented coping. No correlation was found between avoidance-oriented coping and burnout symptoms. Similarly, no interactive correlations between coping styles and particular burnout symptoms were confirmed.Coping styles correlate independently with professional burnout, without any mutual correlations. Physiotherapists employing a wider spectrum of task-oriented strategies are slightly more satisfied with their job. The incidence of burnout syndrome in the analyzed group is similar to that observed in other medical professions and requires the adoption of preventive measures.

Relationships of work-related psychosocial risks, stress, individual factors and burnout – Questionnaire survey among emergency physicians and nurses

“…However, our study results suggest any different interrelationships. The results of the analysis in our study confirm the predictions concerning the positive effects of problem-focused coping of the work-related burnout symptoms [28].…”

“…Additionally, they found that this coping style was preferable under poor organizational conditions Task-oriented coping was associated with decreased risk of burnout, while emotion-oriented coping was associated with increased risk of burnout for healthcare professionals in a large Canadian study emergency department [27]. Problem-focused coping is a good indicator of compassion satisfaction but it is not correlated to compassion fatigue or burnout [28]. However, our study results suggest any different interrelationships.…”

Síndrome De Burnout Em Fisioterapeutas: Uma Revisão Sistemática

“…Alguns estudos foram realizados no ambiente hospitalar sem especificar se foram realizados com trabalhadores que atuam em ambulatório, em enfermaria ou em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva 4,9,19,20,22,23,24 .…”

Can chronotype and social jet lag predict burnout among physical therapists?

“…Similarly, DI was linked to an emotion-oriented coping style (Oginska and Oginska-Bruchal 2014). Both neuroticism and the emotion-oriented stress coping style are recognized as risk factors of burnout symptoms (Nowakowska-Domagala et al 2015;van der Wal et al 2016). This dyad may be further supplemented by high amplitude of the rhythm; this combination may give rise to a specific pattern of circadian functioning marked by high emotional liability or negative emotionality, which predisposes the individual to psychophysical exhaustion and disillusionment.…”